Season 4 Rewrite
by Elanen
Summary: This is a sequel to my previous one shot A Promise for the Future. How would Season 4 be different if season 3 had ended without Annie and Auggie getting together, but a phone call to Eyal. This will follow the same basic plotline as season 4. Entire cast will make an appearance. Annie/Eyal, Auggie, Henry, Teo, Calder, Arthur, Joan
1. Vamos

**Well, you all asked for it. So here is Covert Affairs Season 4 Episode 1 Rewrite following my previous one-shot **_**"A Promise for the Future"**_**. **

**Thank you to everyone who Reviewed **_**APFTF**_**. You inspired me to continue :)**

**Please understand this is following the same basic storyline as season 4. You will see a lot of dialog that comes directly from the episode, but because Annie is not with Auggie circumstances will start to change. **

**She will not readily have access to information that on the show Auggie shared with her because they were in a relationship.**

**Also, Eyal is a seasoned spy, and he is not blind which may lead Annie into or out of trouble faster.**

**Most of this will be from Annie's point of view with a little from Eyal's thrown in. So if there is a scene in the episode without Annie most likely it will not be written out here. Eyal will sometimes be off doing his own thing, gathering Intel, working missions for Mossad, etc, etc. Unless he is in a scene with Annie or it's written direct from his point of view you won't always know what he's up to.**

**I think you get the picture! **

**For the moment I have decided to leave out the elevator scene. A lot is going to change the further and further I get into the season, and I am not sure how I want it to go yet. I may go back and add it later.**

**Please Read and Review! I hope you enjoy :)**

Vamos Rewrite

By Elanen

Annie rolled over in bed and stared at her alarm clock. It was still early, but she had a plane to catch. Pulling herself from the warmth of her bed, she began to gather her clothes.

The conversation last night with Eyal played through her thoughts, and she smiled. It made what she was about to do easier.

Having showered and dressed, Annie grabbed her suitcase and made her way down to the cab that was waiting to take her to the airport.

Joan had been more than glad to grant her a few days of vacation when she had called the night before. _"After everything that has happened this last year, I really think you could use the time, Annie."_ Joan had been too polite to mention Simon or Russia, but Annie knew she was thinking it.

If only Joan knew what her real plans were. There would be no rest and relaxation on this trip.

Annie had to see where Henry's Intel led.

She sat back in her seat on the airplane, and waited for her arrival in Colombia.

**XXXXX**

Annie had barely made it out of the airport terminal when her cellphone rang. "Hello?"

"She picks up."

"Auggie? Hey." She wasn't sure where they stood after she had turned him down the night before.

Auggie's voice sounded far away. "What's going on…hold on a sec, Annie." He faded out and came back after a moment. "You there, Annie?"

"What's going on, Auggie?"

Auggie signed. "The D.O. just requisition my hard drives. 'Standard security back check'." He mimicked.

"Why!" Annie was alarmed. Henry Wilcox's predictions had started.

"_I expect you to observe. Dominoes will start to fall. Tomorrow the D.O. will begin a routine investigation into Auggie Anderson's security clearance."_

"Don't worry about me. A hard drive rec is nothing new for a tech op." His reassurance did nothing to calm her fears. "So, Joan mentioned you wouldn't be in today. That you asked for time off."

"Yeah." She answered distractedly.

"Listen, Annie, if this is about last night…"

She realized how it must look to him. "No! No, Auggie, it's not. I promise. It's just… I haven't had any time to myself since Russia, and I thought it might be nice to go on an actual vacation. No mission, normal sightseeing and such." She cringed as she said the words aloud. She hated bring up her stint in a Russian prison, but she knew he would instantly back off. She felt queasy having to lying to him.

"Of course. Where you headed?"

"I'll tell you all about it when I get back"

"I will hold you to that, Walker."

"Bye, Auggie."

**XXXXX**

Annie felt excitement build in her as she walked through the heart of Medellin. She loved traveling. Colombia was unlike any place she had seen before, but that was the beauty of every new city she visited. She swiveled taking in the giant marble statues lining the street.

She had left her suitcase at the hotel, opting to walk the short distance to her destination.

Nearing the bank she took in the dark smartly dressed man that was just exiting. She approached her quarry. "Mr. Sanchez?"

"Si?"

"I had a question about a foreign currency account."

"There are tellers inside who can help you." The business man tried to brush her off.

"I was told you were the man to speak to at Banco Medellin."

The man paused, and removed his sunglasses. "And why is that?"

Annie smiled. She had his attention now. "You're not afraid to take chances. I need you to give me information about a high-value client."

"And _why_ would I do that?" He scoffed at her.

She unclasped the gold watch from her wrist and offered it to the banker. "This is for your girlfriend, Beatriz."

Mr. Sanchez eyed the watch, but eventually took it.

"Or you could give it to your wife, Claudia." Annie continued sweetly. "Or you could give it to your other girlfriend, also called Claudia."

His face hardened, and he glared at her.

"I know all about you, Oswaldo. The fancy cars, and the massive debt. So if you want to talk, we need to talk." She left the ball in his court, and as expected he snatch at it.

"Okay. Let's talk." He glanced at their surroundings. "But not here."

She nodded. "Here's the account number." She handed him a small note. "Where do you want to meet?"

"Orquideorama. Five sharp."

Annie turned to go. "Personally, I'd give it to your wife." She quipped in parting.

She casually made her way back to the hotel, checking her tail as she did. Confident she had not been followed, she passed through the hotel restaurant, and went up a flight of stairs to her room.

Her door was already ajar.

She was reaching for her gun when she remembered she had been unable to bring it on the plane. Inching forward, she eased the door inward.

Her anxiety fled as she recognized the man that had invaded her room.

"Eyal? What are doing here?" She was thrilled and nervous all at the same time.

Eyal Lavin turned leisurely from the window and smiled at her. "Annie Walker. I could ask you the same thing."

Annie couldn't help but answer his grin with one of her own. She shut the door behind her and tossed her purse onto the bed. "You are the one in _my _hotel room." Her smile belied her words. "Are you on assignment for Mossad?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "It seems we cannot stay away from one another for long, _Neshama_. I do not remember hearing of any CIA mission here in Colombia."

Annie sat on the edge of the bed. "I bet there is a lot about the CIA that you do not know." She sighed. "But I'm not here for the CIA."

"This is about the Intel you mentioned." It wasn't a question, still she nodded.

Eyal moved around the bed and sat beside her. "Will you show me?"

He watched her as she searched in her bag and removed a folder.

He had been uncertain at first if coming would be a good idea. However, the way Annie was smiling at him, reminded him of when they had run into each other in Paris before she had realized he was there to steal her asset. It had only been the second time they had met. She had been all smiles and blushes. She wasn't nearly as flustered as she had been then, but he could tell she was pleased to see him.

Not for the first time he was blown away by how undone this woman made him feel.

"At this point I pretty much have this memorized." Annie passed him the file without hesitation. A testament to her trust in him. "You know who Arthur Campbell is, right?"

"The head of the DCS department in the CIA?"

"Yeah. There's financial records here that indicate he may be funneling money to the ALC terror group here in Colombia." She tapped on the face of a woman in a picture with Arthur. "There's evidence of this same woman meeting with the ALC Terrorist codenamed. 'The Puma'."

"You are here to find out if this is true?"

"There is also this." She pulled out another page and pointed to the name listed as having opened the bank account the terrorists were using. "That's one of Auggie's aliases." Eyal looked up in surprise. "I'm here to prove this wrong."

He nodded and flipped back through the pages. "Who gave this to you, Annie?"

"Have you heard of Henry Wilcox?"

His eyebrows rose. "He went to prison for treason, did he not?"

"Yeah. He got out." Annie shrugged.

"And he gave you this information?" She nodded.

"Considering the source, you know this may very well be a trap. This may be exactly what Henry Wilcox wants."

"I know." She sighed. "I have to do something though."

Eyal laughed and bumped her shoulder. "You would not be Annie Walker if you did not follow this down." "What was your first move?"

"Assistant bank manager. He proved to be as irreputable as expected. I'm meeting him later for the full download."

"So, where are we meeting him?"

"We?"

"Since I'm here." He smiled.

**XXXXX**

Annie and Eyal slowly made their way through the Medellin Botanical Gardens, keeping their eyes peeled for anyone out of place. As they entered the Orquideorama, Annie stopped and stared in awe at the wooden flowers that stretched into the sky. "It's amazing. Have you ever been here before, Eyal?"

"This is a first for me as well, _Neshama_." Eyal took in the giant structure before settling his gaze on her. "We will see many new places together."

She caught his gazed and smiled. "You are always so sure."

"Kismet." He replied simply. "You see our banker?"

She shook her head. "Fashionably late."

"You met the man. Will he show? Do we wait?" Eyal waited for her lead.

"We wait." Annie answered decisively. Her eyes lighted on the guitarist not far from them, playing a despondent melody. "We dance."

He smiled in surprise and pulled her close. They effortlessly moved into a gentle sway.

Unfortunately it did not last long before Annie paused and discreetly indicated the target.

The Colombian banker veered off down one of the garden's many pathways, and they started to follow. Eyal saw the man first and pulled Annie back.

Sanchez was lying face down on the wooden deck. Blood pooled under his head.

"He's dead." Eyal said what they both already knew. Time to get Annie out of here. Before he could enact his plan he felt someone come up behind them.

Whirling around he put himself between the killer and Annie. He went for his gun when a shot came from the trees, and the man fell.

A young black man came from the far side of the trail and approached them. "I strongly suggest you two come with me." He replaced his gun under his jacket and continued on, not waiting to see if they heeded his words.

"He's the Station Chief." Eyal whispered in her ear. "Come on, Annie."

**XXXXX**

Their guide led them to a small bar.

"Okay. Everything on the table." The man swirled his drink with his finger and pinned them with a hard stare. "My name is Calder Michaels, and I'm station chief here in Medellin. I now have a sweep team at the orchard garden, and three bribes I'm going to have to make because of those bodies, but here I am doing all the talking when two other CIA operatives are visiting my lovely city. How rude. Go."

"You must be mistaken. We're just here on vacation." Annie smiled innocently at Calder.

"Okay." Calder smiled back at her.

"Okay?" That was too easy.

Calder dropped the smiled "I've had eyes on you ever since you stepped off the plane in Cordova. And you…" He turned his attention to Eyal.

Eyal smoothly cut him off. "You didn't even know I was here until I met with her, at which time I allowed you to continue to shadow us. Thank you for your assistance back there, by the way."

Calder was thrown for a moment. He wasn't sure whether he should be pissed off or accept the man's gratitude.

Annie took the opening. "Langley doesn't always alert local station chiefs about missions in-country."

"When was the last time you were on a mission in Colombia?" Annie looked away. "Exactly. Never. 'Cause it's not just dangerous down here, it's unpredictable. There's a code, but it's messy…"

"There are laws, but not really." Eyal supplied.

Calder considered the spy. "Now, you're catching on. The one thing you can count on is that operatives do better in Colombia when I'm looped in. I'm the youngest station chief in South America in twenty years, and I got here because I know how to play ball. But that's hard to do by yourself." He watched them both letting his words sink in. "I'd like to propose a toast." He lifted his glass. "To us. Are we going to become friends, enemies, or just remain people who happen to be spies for the same great country? It's really up to you."

"Cheers." Annie broke the dark mood.

"Cheers." Calder clanked his glass with hers, and in turn Annie tapped Eyal's.

"Well," Having said his peace, Calder rose, put on his sunglasses, and grabbed his suit jacket. "Enjoy your visit. This one's on me." He tossed money on the table and left.

"You think he's going to call Langley?" Annie asked worriedly.

"No, Calder Michaels is an ambitious man. He won't risk displeasing the higher ups or take the chance we're working above his clearance level."

"He didn't seem to know who you are."

"He must have assumed I was your CIA back up. We should keep it that way." Eyal took a sip of his drink. "It would not look good with your agency if you were found running an unauthorized mission with a Mossad agent."

Annie propped her chin on her hand and smiled flirtatiously at him. "But I thought that was our specialty."

He laughed. "I guess we have had a few of those."

"What about Mossad? Rivka can't be happy you are helping me instead of completing your own mission."

"No doubt, she wouldn't be if she found out, but…" Eyal hesitated and Annie noticed his serious shift. "I made it clear to Rivka if I was to work for Mossad again, you were off limits."

Annie was touched. She knew it must have been hard to walk away in the first place. She put her hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Eyal. That means a lot to me."

He turned towards her and fingered a strand of her hair. "Believe me, _Neshama_, it was the least I could do."

Annie smiled gently at him. Patting his shoulder, she stood. "Come on, I think I have another way to find our target."

**XXXXX**

"How will we know if the transfer goes though?" Eyal guided Annie to one of the waiting benches surrounding the Banco Medellin.

She passed over the palm sized electronic piece she carried. "I was able to get Eric to put a trace, or an e-trace as he called it, on the account, but he said it could take a while." "You think following the courier is the best idea?"

"I believe it is the only option we have left."

Eyal fiddled with the electronic device, and Annie played with a crossword puzzle as they waited.

"Eric?"

Annie looked up. "What?"

"You mentioned an Eric did this e-trace. What happened to Auggie?"

"Oh, Yeah. Eric Barber. He's another tech operative in my department. He's trustworthy. He won't ask a lot of questions, and he won't tell anyone."

Eyal nodded trusting her judgment. "You told me all about Eric, but you didn't answer the question, Annie?"

"Auggie opened this account. I know he is not connected with the ALC, but I want more information before I involve him."

Eyal regarded her for a moment. "There's more to it than that. Some other reason you don't want to contact him."

Annie exhaled. "You know me too well."

"Not nearly as well as I would like." He replied sincerely. She blushed.

An electronic beeping interrupted them. "The transfer is complete"

"Finally." She grabbed her earpiece and headed for the bank.

She took a deposit slip to the side counter and pretended to fill it out as she scrutinized the people around her.

"That's our account, Annie. That's the courier." Eyal's voice filled her ear.

She found her man at the counter receiving a large withdraw in his satchel. She followed him out, and Eyal fell into step beside her.

They shadowed the courier down several streets. Entering a small alleyway, the Israeli's awareness sharpened, and he had a clear sense of apprehension. "Annie, wait!" Grabbing her around the waist, he hauled her back from the street, and a bullet tore through the spot she had just been standing in.

"Annie, are you alright?" Eyal looked her over.

"Yeah, I'm fine, you?" She was breathing heavy but otherwise unhurt.

"Good." They stepped cautiously out into the street, but their mark was long gone.

Abruptly a pickup truck pulled up to their location. Three armed men exited and surrounded them. The men wore bandanas to hide their faces, which reminded Annie of the clumsy outlaws in old American western films. Unfortunately the men waving the two pistol grip shotguns in their faces were not inept or sluggish. They had little choice, but to comply with their demands.

The men frisked them both. Eyal was relieved of his gun, and they were ushered into the truck.

After a short, jarring ride, they were pulled roughly into the back of a restaurant.

The man waiting for them was tall and sturdy. His face was fierce and his eyes held fire, but his childish curls lent him a gentle air. He casually ate a piece of meat off the blade of his knife.

"So, a little tip from a local. You should be careful who you follow around here." His tone was slow and easy, almost amiable. He ran a critical eye over them. "What were you doing trying to access my account?"

"You're the Puma?" Annie couldn't help it. He looked nothing like she had imagined.

"I didn't come up with the name. Frankly, we could have done better." He leaned back against the counter. "My friends call me Teo. Teo Braga."

She stepped forward. "Whatever you're thinking, Teo, we're on the same side. We have a friend in common in American."

"America, huh?" Teo looked Eyal over. Annie had the distinct feeling he knew Eyal was not America. "I have _no_ American friends, and I suggest you two leave Colombia, now." Teo grabbed a piece of brown food wrap and scribbled a note. "Here, directions back to Botero Plaza. You don't want to get lost in Medellin, right?"

Annie wasn't ready to give up so fast, but Eyal grabbed her elbow and pulled her out the door. "Now's not the time, Annie. Read the note."

She unfolded the note. '_Meet me here at 6pm.'_

"How did you know?"

"We're spies, and Teo Braga knows this. We weren't blindfolded on the way here. We don't need directions."

**XXXXX**

The walk back to the hotel was shorter than the ride.

"We have an hour until the meet." Annie slipped her tennis shoes off without untying them. "What?"

Eyal was resting on the edge of the bed watching her. "You know, if Teo really is an ALC terrorist you're connecting yourself to him with this meeting. This may be exactly what Henry Wilcox has planned. To put you in the middle of this. This could look very bad for you in the eyes of your agency."

"What about you, and your agency?" She countered.

"Ah, but we do things differently at Mossad."

"What are you saying? You think we shouldn't go?"

Eyal chuckled. "After what happened the last time we were together, I know better. You would just go anyway."

Annie smiled sheepishly. "I have to find out what Auggie got himself into so I can get him out."

"And you want to outwit Henry at his own game. You can admit it. The idea arouses you."

"Says the man who couldn't stop being a spy for more than two weeks."

He grinned. "True."

"You think Teo is a terrorist, not an asset?"

"Asset? No. Undercover operative, maybe. I have seen a lot of men who were in deep cover. If he is, he has been there for a long time. Sometimes men like that… they forget they are just playing a role."

She nodded thinking over his words.

"He was smart enough to realize I was not CIA. As much as I dislike the notion, I will only be a hindrance. He will not talk if I am there with you."

Annie slipped down onto the bed beside him. "You're right. I hadn't thought of that."

"I have an idea. Come on, I'll explain on the way." He offered her his hand and pulled her up.

She wiggled her feet back into her shoes.

As they were leaving the room, she noticed the small calendar on the bedside table and abruptly halted.

"Annie, what is it?"

"It's July 16th." The date was glaring her in the face. Jai would have been thirty-nine today.

"Yeah…" It obviously meant something to her. Eyal put his hand on her shoulder, and it jolted her from her memory.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just a friend's birthday." She flashed him a smile.

He had the distinct feeling it was more than that. He shut the door behind them, and followed Annie down the stairs.

**XXXXX**

Whatever Eyal's plan was it never reached fruition. Just as they entered the hotel lobby, they ran into Calder Michaels.

"A drink?" Calder seemed intent on having another chat.

"Didn't we already grab a drink?"

"It's Colombia. There's always another drink." He motioned them to the hotel bar.

Annie glanced at the clock. They did not have time for this. "Oh, I, uh – I forgot something in my room. I'll be back really quickly."

Eyal gave her a look as she passed, and she smirked. He just rolled his eyes. Apparently he was playing 'babysit Calder' while she went to the meet.

"So you buying this time?" Calder didn't give him a chance to answer and murmured to the bartender in Spanish. "_Dos rones por favor_. Two rums, please."

Eyal sipped his drink. He would let Calder lead.

"You know," Calder started, "We really got off to the wrong foot earlier. You don't know me, and I don't know you. Now Annie Walker…Yeah I looked her up. Speaks at least seven languages, great field work. She has brought in some big wins for the DPD, but you… there's no record of. So, mind telling me who you are, and what you're doing here?"

Eyal smiled into his drink. The man was fishing. The only reason he had not called Langley yet was because he still thought Eyal was CIA. With no record, he probably thought he was a shadow recruit or some kind of black-ops. _Way_ above a station chief.

The less he said the more Calder would buy into it that.

"Me? I'm here to make sure Annie gets what she wants."

Calder thought about that for a minute. Certainly not the answer he was expecting. He ordered another drink. Time to change the subject. "So, Annie – she single?"

"You should ask her and find out."

**XXXXX**

As Annie drew close to the restaurant, Teo came out to meet her.

"So, what do we need to discuss?" She asked.

He looked around nervously "Where's your friend?"

The roar of a motorcycle engine got louder as it drove near. His eyes widened, and he pulled Annie behind a car as the two men on the bike opened fire. They crouched between the car and the side of the restaurant as the gunners passed by.

"You tell Arthur Campbell that the blood's on his hands, not mine."

"Whose blood?"

"He made promises to me. He said he'd be there for me. But you know what?" Teo shouted at her. "You tell him that I'm done with him. I burned the account, so I don't need him anymore," The Colombian moved away.

"How do you know Arthur Campbell? That's what I need to know!"

"You mean you don't know?"

"Know what?"

He grabbed her arm and shoved her roughly into the wall. "A day ago, I didn't know you, and today I'm getting shot at." He hissed. "Seems like you and I both don't have the full truth." He released her and ran from the scene.

"Annie!" She heard Eyal calling her, and she ran back the way she had come.

"Eyal!" She went eagerly into his arms more shaken than she wished to admit.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm okay, I'm okay." She breathed.

Eyal struggled to calm his racing heart as he folded her into his embrace.

"Okay. Listen up." Calder had followed him when the shooting had started. "Either the ALC or the Colombian Police will be here within seconds. Whatever your game is down here, it is now over. Come with me."

They trailed after Calder as police sirens started to wail in the distance.

**XXXXX**

Annie and Eyal quickly gathered their things from the hotel room. Calder was waiting below to take them to the airport.

Annie stuffed her suitcase full, and eyed the bag in Eyal's hand. "Did you even get your own room?"

"Why would I do that, _Neshama_?" He smiled down at her. "We are so good at sharing."

She laughed. No doubt they were both remembering the many safe houses they had shared throughout the last few years.

Her hand absently tangled with his as she pulled him from the room.

**XXXXX**

"So, that drink we had before was our farewell drink." Calder was escorting them down the terminal.

"I guess so." Annie answered for them.

Calder held up his hand and halted them. "You know, the only nice thing about you two doing this mission off-book, is that I don't have to file any paperwork."

"What mission?"

"Exactly. Let's hope when we meet again, we do a little better job communicating because this -whatever this was – it was a mess." Calder shook his head in exasperation.

The two watched him walk away.

"I'll walk you to your gate." Eyal touched her arm, and they continued forward.

"Where are you headed?" She had secretly hoped he would come to D.C. with her.

"Europe. I have a mission to complete, but I will see if I can find anything on Teo Braga for you."

Which reminded her. "What about your mission here? You didn't really have any extra time apart from helping me."

Eyal didn't answer.

"You never had a mission here!" Annie realized in surprise. "Then what… You were following me? But how did you know I would be here?"

"I'm Mossad." He said as if that answered everything.

They reached the correct gate and paused.

"You were worried about me?"

Eyal ran his hand down her arm and grasped her elbow. "You are an excellent spy, Annie. I don't have to worry about you. More intrigued with what brought you here. But Calder Michaels _is _right. This is not a friendly place."

She nodded and considered what he wasn't saying. He had come because she was here, and he had wanted to see her.

Her flight was called.

"Thank you, Eyal."

"Until next time, _Neshama_."

She took the handle of her suitcase, and he let her go. She hesitated and turned back.

He was gone.

She grinned and boarded her plane.

**XXXXX**

Annie sat silently in the bubble auditorium. Auggie was on one side, and Eric the other.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Arthur Campbell took the stage. "I've gathered you all here today because you deserve to hear directly from me. In the coming days, press outlets will reveal that I have engaged in an extramarital affair."

The audience collectively gasped.

"So as not to distract from the important work of this Agency, I am resigning my post, effective immediately. I want to thank each and every one of you for your service. I couldn't have hoped to work with a finer, more patriotic group of men and women. It has been my honor."

Annie sat in shock.

_I expect you to observe. Dominoes will start to fall. Tomorrow the D.O. will begin a routine investigation into Auggie Anderson's security clearance. Within a week, Arthur will resign. In a few months, this thing will blow wide open, and everyone involved will be brought down. I'm sorry to say, this won't end well for your friend Auggie._

**TBC in **_**"Dig for Fire Rewrite"**_

**Please Review :)**

**Author Note: I always felt that Jai got a bit of a raw deal. No one really understood him except maybe Annie. I liked the idea that she would remember his birthday. I could not find the exact date for it, only that he was thirty-eight when he was killed. I decided to pick the air date of the episode. **


	2. Dig for Fire

**I am going to apologize right up front for this chapter. It has a lot of the script in it! But if you get past that, it has some key little changes. Also this will be followed by my own interlude chapter with just Annie and Eyal. **

**Everyone that reviewed my previous chapter, THANK YOU SO MUCH :) :) I LOVE every single one. You keep me going! I will reply personally to each of you as soon as I get a chance!**

**Please Read and Review! I hope you enjoy :)**

Dig For Fire Rewrite

By Elanen

Annie expertly maneuvered her red Volkswagen through the late evening traffic. It had been one hell of a work day. Arthur Campbell's resignation the day before had sent the entire department into a tizzy.

With relief she pulled into the driveway of her house. Well, it was still her sister's house. Danielle and Michael were waiting to put the house on the market until they finished moving the rest of their stuff to California. It was taking them a suspicious amount of time. No doubt her sister's ploy to give her as much time here as she could.

But Danielle didn't know what had transpired here. Since Simon's death Annie had stuck to her small apartment in the addition, avoiding the main house all together. That could only last so long. When her stay at Eyal's D.C. apartment had fallen through, she had only returned here as a last result. She had every intention of moving out as soon as possible, but had not found the time.

Moving in through the gate, Annie halted as her spy senses flared. The back door that led into her sister's kitchen had been forced open. She pulled her gun and flashlight from her purse. She slowly approached and kicked the door gently to the side. Entering the house, she clicked the flashlight on. She quickly surveyed the room and leveled her weapon at the intruder.

"Since when did you start carrying on US soil?" Arthur Campbell was reclining casually in one of the kitchen chairs.

"Since the last time someone broke into my kitchen." Her voice was edged with flint, but she lowered the gun and flipped on the overhead light. "How'd you get in here?"

"Don't worry. I lost whatever press was tailing me. Last thing I need right now is to be caught having an illicit meeting with some young blonde."

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" She spat. "How could you do this to Joan?"

"You don't get to ask questions yet." Arthur stood and approached her. "What were you doing in Colombia?"

Annie considered the ex-DCS Director before pulling the file from her bag. She laid it on the kitchen island. "I was investigating the transfer of funds from your personal account to the Puma – a known terrorist."

"Henry Wilcox gave this to you?" She nodded.

He looked through the pages. She stopped him on one of the pictures. "Is, uh, this the woman you, uh?" How to put this delicately.

"That I resigned over?" He shook his head. "No, this is Teresa Hamilton. She's a cutout for the Puma."

"What is Teo's connection to you, Arthur? What's going on here?"

"I thought you already knew." Arthur was watching her closely, and she could see the debate in his eyes. "I think we're done here."

"Arthur…" Annie was interrupted by her cell phone buzzing. She went to silence it when she recognized the number. She pointed at Arthur and motioned for him to stay.

"Hello?"

"I have news." Eyal's smooth Israeli accent sounded in her ear.

"Yeah… Arthur's with me." She let him know she couldn't talk. Arthur's eyebrows rose at the mention of his name.

"I don't have much time." He said in a rush. "I did some digging…"

There was suddenly a jumble of noises, and she caught herself just in time from calling out his name in front of Arthur.

He came back on the line breathing hard. "Ask Arthur if Braga is his son. I'll explain later if he doesn't. And this number's not good anymore." The line went dead, and she stared at her phone in concern for a moment.

Arthur was watching her.

"Is Teo your son?"

His eyes darkened. "Who was that?" he pointed at her phone.

"A friend. It doesn't matter. Is Teo your son?" She reiterated.

"Was it Auggie? I know you had someone assisting you."

"Auggie? Why…" The pieces snapped into place. "Of course, Auggie opened the account. He would know it was for your son."

Arthur was torn.

"Listen Arthur, I think I have made my side clear." She indicated the file that lay open between them. "But I can't help you unless you trust me."

He sighed and conceded. "I had no business having a kid. I was still basically one myself – just out of Annapolis, my first overseas tour. And Teo's mom, her name was Ana. Ana Sofia. I didn't learn she was pregnant until I was out in the middle of the Pacific. If I had to do it all over again, I would have proposed to her right then and there and begged her to come join me as soon as she could. But I was young and scared.

"So what happened?" Annie prompted

"She had the baby. Her parents became a huge obstacle. They refused to let her marry me. They made it very difficult for me to see my son. But, uh… but we still managed to steal a few moments here and there.

"And where's Ana Sofia now?"

"She died." Annie could hear the pain in Arthur's voice. This was a side to him she had never seen. "Her parents took Teo in, cut me off from him completely. It wasn't until they passed years later that Teo and I were able to reconnect. And that hasn't been easy. You know… I suppose I tried too hard to make it all up to him. There's a part of him that keeps…that keeps pushing me away. But lately he's become erratic."

"That's accurate, with what I saw." She agreed. "Does Joan know about Teo?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Joan and I had challenges trying to start a family, and I suppose I was… You know, I was afraid of admitting just how much being a father meant to me." "Does Henry know Teo's my son?"

"He hasn't said anything to me."

"If he does know, he'll do everything in his power to exploit it to ruin me."

"He's going to want to hear what I found out in Colombia. I can try and see if he knows the truth about Teo." She offered.

"Well you can't ask him directly. He will have to volunteer it."

"What if he doesn't?"

Arthur thought about it for a minute. "Confirm everything else. Tell him I _am_ funding the Puma."

"What?"

"Earn some trust, some goodwill, and we'll see what he does with the information. Henry always finds a way to profit from other people's problems." "How soon could you arrange a meet?"

"I can ask to meet him in the morning. He has to be just as anxious to know what I uncovered."

Arthur contemplated the file one more time before closing the folder. "Why give this to you, Annie? What did Henry say?"

Annie looked away.

"If you are going to help me with this, you have to be just as honest as I am with you. Like why Henry disclosed this Intel to you, and who revealed Teo was my son?"

"Teo as your son was just a hunch." She was quick to cover for Eyal. He clearly did not believe her, but she continued. "Henry gave me the Intel because of Jai."

"What does Jai have to do with any of this?" Her words distracted him from his former line of questioning.

"He was lying." She shook her head. "He gave me the Intel because he knew I wouldn't be able to pass on it."

"What did he say _specifically_, Annie?" Arthur was watching her intently.

She sighed. "He said that _Jai liked me and trusted me_. He wanted to spare me the _Bloodletting about to hit Langley_ for his son's sake." She paused. "He said you would resign, Arthur… and he was right."

Arthur smiled sadly at her. "He was right about one thing. Jai cared about you. Contact me when you have the meeting set." He patted her arm and left.

**XXXXX**

"Thanks for meeting me on such short notice." Annie joined Henry Wilcox at the railing of the patio. As she had expected, he had been eager to meet when she had called the night before.

"You said it was important."

"Well, I just got back from Colombia."

"You verify the Intel in the file?" Henry asked.

"The truth is even more damning." She shook her head. "The funds are being funneled directly to Teo Braga."

"The Puma." She nodded at his words. "What about the woman in the photos? Got any ID?"

"She's a cutout, like you said. Arthur said her name was Teresa Hamilton. I can't figure out his play here." Annie tried to draw him out.

He snorted. "I've never had any success trying to discern Arthur's motives. Were you able to discover the extent of Arthur's relationship with Teo Braga?"

She tried to judge the answer in his eyes. "No."

"Well, then thank you for sharing." Henry was abruptly done, and he made for the door.

"Wait!" She turned to face him. "That's it?" She was genuinely confused.

"Well, I'm sorry. You asked for the meeting. I thought we were through." It seemed Henry had reigned himself in, and he was acting like this entire situation was her idea.

"Well, what's the next thing you want me to do? I mean, when I said I was in, I meant it."

"I think you misunderstood our last meeting." He shook his head condescendingly. "I wasn't asking you to do anything with the file. I was simply… extending a professional courtesy."

"Right." _Sure. _"And I appreciate that…"

"Then why'd you already read somebody else in?" He hissed.

Annie was thrown for a loop. "What?"

"You had an associate with you in Colombia. Did you think I wouldn't find out? Not CIA from the looks of him. So who is he?"

Annie could only stare at him.

"Ah, no matter. I will know soon enough. You should take more care in the future with whom you share that file with, Miss Walker. It is dangerous information." He gave her a quizzical look. "I had thought of anyone you would turn to Anderson not an outsider. Well, if you get the notion to share again, don't."

Annie desperately tried to focus. "Auggie is implicated in that file. His security clearance got dinged just like you said. Now Arthur. How did you know that was going to happen?"

He shook his head. "I expected more from you."

She waited until he was out of sight before she let her true feelings show. She clutched the railing tightly and blew out her breath. When had Eyal been drawn into this? Henry was powerful. She had no doubt he would figure out just who had been with her in Colombia.

"Eyal can take care of himself." She told herself, but the thought did little to ease her worry. The price you pay when you care about someone.

Returning to the task at hand she pulled out her phone and hurried after Henry.

"What happened?" Arthur answered her call.

"Our fish has taken the bait." She maneuvered her car into traffic behind Henry.

**XXXXX**

Annie tailed Henry for several blocks before he parked, and placed a call on a pay phone.

"Where are you? You haven't been in this morning?" Auggie's worried tone answered her call.

"I need you to run a trace on the pay phone on 14th and Pennsylvania." How far could she push before Auggie demanded answers.

"A pay phone? I swear, sometimes I am convinced the phone company keeps them around for spies."

"It was an outgoing call two minutes ago and an incoming one just now." She parked her car and continued to follow Henry as he left the pay phone on foot.

"Why don't you tell me what's going on?" Apparently she couldn't stall him for long.

"I'm trailing Henry Wilcox."

"What? Why?" Auggie was alarmed.

"To see what he does with the Intel I gave him."

"I'm sorry. What Intel that you got from where to accomplish what?"

"Uh, I have a lot to explain to you, Auggie, but now is not a good time."

"Okay. Now I just have more questions."

"Soon. I promise. I got to go. Give me a call when you get a trace on that phone."

"Will do. And be careful, Walker."

**XXXXX**

It didn't take Auggie long to call back.

"Finished running the trace on the pay phone Henry used."

"Anything yet?" Annie asked.

"A call was placed to Langley's main switchboard."

"No wonder he used a pay phone." Annie paused. Henry was milling about in the crowd a flight below her. She had followed him into the metro station, and he seemed to be waiting for a train. "Could you trace which extension he was connected to?"

"No, it gets rerouted after that."

"And the incoming?"

"Burner phone, paid for with cash at a vending machine at the Frankfurt airport. In other words – Untraceable." Auggie supplied. "Hey, why do I hear an echo?"

"I'm in the Metro Station at the Federal Triangle."

"Annie, that is twenty-nine different kinds of ill-advised. If he spots you, you can't walk this back." She did not need the reminder.

Henry's train arrived, and she rushed to keep eyes on him. "This is my train. I'll call you as soon as I can." She ended the conversation and ducked into the car next to Henry.

She almost lost him once, and he almost spotted her, but she managed to shadow him to the seventh floor of a tall office building and into a door marked Solstar Oil.

She found a maintenance hallway and once again called Auggie. "What can you tell me about the Solstar Oil Company?"

"Solstar's a regional heavyweight in the energy-services business, big footprint in Colombia. They're pumping close to 300,000 barrels a day out of their field in Casanare, or, to be more specific, they were pumping that much until about two weeks ago."

"The Ayacucho pipeline bombing." She remembered hearing about that. It made more sense now. "Courtesy of our friend Teo Braga and the ALC."

There was a long silence on Auggie's end. "How… Where…"

"Are you really going to pretend you didn't know I went to Colombia?"

"No, I knew." He sighed. "I guess hoped it really was just for vacation."

"I'm sorry, Auggie. I didn't want to lie to you."

"I get it, Annie. Were spies. It comes with the territory. Let's just try to be more open with each other, yeah?"

"Of course, Auggie. We need to have a drink and share what we know, but right now…" Annie stopped in front of a door marked Communications Room and an idea struck. "I haven't done taps since the farm. Think you can walk me through it?"

"Oh, it's like riding a bike, only the bike isn't breaking the fourth amendment." He chuckled. "All right, what you want to create is a slave parallel wiretap. You'll need Solstar's target line. They should be grouped by floor number."

She searched for the right one. "Okay, got it."

"You'll need an unused line you can pirate to eavesdrop from. You're listening for a dial tone. That's your parallel. Now create your slave."

She followed his instructions. "Uh, I'm one wire short, though."

"Hey, what about your headset? Do you have wire cutter?"

"No, but I have teeth." She grinned.

"Well, that'll do the trick." He laughed.

"Signing off." She went to work.

**XXXXX**

_The CIA's been secretly financing the ALC under the table. It's why Arthur Campbell had to step down. He has a personal connection to Teo Braga._

_Teo Braga? What kind of connection?_

_I'm afraid that's classified. But believe me, it's a bond that cannot easily be severed._

Annie and Auggie had met up with Arthur at his hotel room, and they were all listening intently to Annie's pilfered audio.

"He knows." Arthur was worried. "He knows Teo's identity. He knows he's my son."

"I'm sorry, Arthur." Annie was not sure where to go from here.

"I need to confront him."

"Disagree." Auggie chimed in. "We work the Intel. We still have a potential mole to uncover. This affects the entire Agency, Not just you."

The older man sighed. "Play it again."

Annie pressed the button and the voices filled the room once more. "We have a handle on the Solstar execs. It's the other voice that we can't place. We know Henry's in contact with someone in the building, and this guy says 'we'. My guess is he's one of ours. Do you recognize his voice?"

"Well, Henry's voice is overriding it. The sound quality's not great."

"Hey, Annie put a lot on the line to get that for you." Auggie was quick to jump to her defense.

Arthur ignored him, and played the recording for the third time. "I can't identify him."

"Do you think it could be someone from the Latin desk or one of your ex-lieutenants?" She asked.

"I don't know."

"Play it for him again." Auggie said.

"I don't know who it is!" Arthur replied in frustration.

"Great. Thanks for all your help." Auggie put in sarcastically.

"Auggie!" Annie tried to cut him off, but he did not listen.

"No, we need to take this to Joan right now, tonight."

"You can't do that. Not yet."

"Why not? Is it because you don't want her to know the truth about Teo?" Auggie asked. Or is it because you don't want her to find out about this phony affair of yours?"

Annie started in surprise.

"I grabbed your backup burner phone number from a cell tower in the near northeast – secret email account, too. You know what I found? Nothing. No secret messages. No late night booty calls. You say she's a covert operative, so I find it highly unlikely she's threatening to go public. Now you could have resigned quietly for personal reasons. No one would be the wiser, but you needed a diversion to take the scent off Teo."

"Bravo, you figured it out. Look at the big brain on you." Arthur was not happy his deception had been discovered.

"Joan thinks you really cheated on her, Arthur." Annie said in concern. "She might not show it, but she's crushed. She loves you."

"I'm trying to protect her." Annie could see the sincerity in his eyes. "Lying to her was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but let there be no doubt – I _had_ to do it."

"Well, your story won't hold up. I'm not gonna be the last one looking into it." Auggie said.

"It doesn't have to hold up forever, just through tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?" Annie asked

Arthur paced the hotel room. "There is a chance that Joan emerges from this unscathed, but she's going to need more than plausible deniability. She needs to be unassailable. Otherwise… She'll go down with me, and they'll remove her from the building."

"She has to pass a polygraph." Arthur nodded in response to Auggie.

"That's the reason you kept all this from her."

"The poly's scheduled for tomorrow. I need you both not to say anything to her until afterwards."

"Thanks for asking." Auggie's tone was once again derisive.

Annie eyed the two. Something more was going on here. "Of course we won't say anything." Annie tried to make up for her friend's attitude. "But you underestimate her, Arthur. You underestimate us all."

"I'm just trying to make things right."

"Well, it's a little late for that." Auggie retorted.

Arthur was about to reply when Annie cut in. "Maybe we should call it a night."

"I think that's a good idea." Arthur agreed.

"Can I use your bathroom?"

"Of course." Arthur pointed it out to her.

Annie shut the door with a click. Something was going on with Auggie and Arthur. They were keeping something from her. Clearly they didn't expect her to be listening at the door, she thought, as she heard their muffled voices. She eased the door open an inch.

"You need to stop playing on Annie's sympathy for you. If you needed somebody to go toe-to-toe with Henry, you should have come to me and left her out of it." She heard Auggie's angry voice.

"She was already in it. Henry made sure of that."

"No, this is all on you."

"Oh, so you're gonna keep score?" Arthur was getting upset now. "Who let her go to Colombia? Which one of us read her in on Teo's identity?"

"She was in Colombia before I knew she had left. There was nothing I could do about that, and I never told her Teo was your son."

"Then how did she find out?"

"I don't know. When we talked, she already knew." Auggie said. "Maybe Teo told her.

"No, Annie and I talked last night. She got a phone call…whoever was on the other end, told her. I figured it was you and that she was covering for you."

Not the information she had been looking for and definitely not where she wanted their minds to go. She made her exit from the bathroom.

"You ready?" She asked Auggie. He nodded and they left.

**XXXXX**

Annie entered Auggie's apartment, and he let go of her arm. She had given him a ride home from Arthur's.

He folded up his cane and made for the refrigerator.

"You want a beer." He asked

"No, I have to drive home later." That sounded wrong. "I mean…I…"

Auggie laughed lightly at her. "Come on, Annie. We said we weren't going to make this awkward. I know you'll be going home later, but we should talk." He popped the top off his drink and made his way over to her.

She wondered how he knew exactly where she was standing.

"Sorry, I guess I'm a little nervous. I don't want to hurt you."

"Little late for that, but I heal quickly." He handed her a bottled water and a beer. "In case you change your mind." He maneuvered easily to the couch and sat down. "Why don't you start with why you thought it was a good idea to follow a random note to meet with someone you had no idea who, without telling anyone? Namely, me. You just forget about your best friend over here, hm?"

Annie smiled, slipped onto the couch beside him, and launched into her story about Henry Wilcox.

**XXXXX**

_The next afternoon…_

Annie was washing her hands in the Bathroom at Langley when Joan burst in.

"Oh, I didn't realize anyone would be here." Joan apologized.

"It's okay." Annie said, but Joan rushed passed her and threw up in the commode.

"Joan, are you okay?" This didn't sound good.

Joan emerged looking pale and tired. "This is…Kind of embarrassing. Life sure comes at you in funny ways sometimes." She rinsed her mouth out and washed her hands.

"Joan are you pregnant?"

Joan sighed. "Just one more thing I didn't see coming. So much for woman's intuition." She scoffed.

"How are you feeling? Are you okay?" Annie asked in concern.

"Besides discovering the father of my child is cheating on me, I'm great."

_This changes things. I have to tell her the truth._ Annie and Joan may not have always agreed on how to go about things, but Annie hated to see her so dejected. "Joan, I've been meaning to talk to you about something…" She started

"Annie, I am late for a polygraph. Can this wait?"

_Polygraph. Right. _"Yeah."

"Okay." Joan turned back. "Arthur doesn't know about any of this yet, so if you could…"

"Of course."

"Thank you." Her boss gave a weak smile and left.

**XXXXX**

"So…" Annie sat on the corner of Auggie's desk. "I spent my lunch hour casing out Solstar. Chatting up a receptionist having a smoke. I didn't glean anything about who else was in the meeting, but I did find out Salazar is headed to Colombia this week for an executive retreat. How about you?"

"I sampled the voice from that teleconference, ran it through a voice recognition database, but I came up with nothing. The quality's too iffy."

She sighed. "So we know what? He's a he?"

"And that he can say 'good afternoon' in Spanish."

Annie smiled. "That doesn't drain the pool very much. We have to keep drilling down."

Auggie nodded. "Yeah, unfortunately it's going to have to wait till after the NFAC run-through."

Annie groan. _Boring!_

"You know," Auggie took her elbow and she started to lead him. "If we sit near the door, maybe we can sneak out during the powerpoint presentation.

As they wait for the presentation to begin across the hall from Joan's office, they heard the tail end of her conversation.

_I have to run home first to do an errand, but you can pick me up at eight._

_Great! Well, I hope you're hungry. The place is called Casa Nosotros, and the Cochinita Pibil is amazing. Buenas tardes._

**XXXXX**

"Seth Newman?" Arthur questioned.

Annie and Auggie had brought their suspicions to Arthur.

"We think he's who gave Henry the details of your bank transfers."

"Does he have access to that kind of information?" Annie asked.

"Not directly, no, but if he was motivated enough, sure."

"Well, you stole Joan from him, didn't you?"

Arthur shook his head. "We were both in relationships at the time. It's tough to say who stole who."

"All right, let's just say he was properly motivated. What do we do about it now?" Auggie asked.

"Nothing. At least not openly. We can't accuse him without something concrete. If we confront him, it'll only expose you to Henry."

"I want to search his house, see if there's a safe that I can get into or a burner phone I can pull the digits off of." Annie said.

"Too risky."

"He's single he lives alone. We know he won't be home until at least nine or ten tonight." Annie argued.

"Well, how do you know that?"

She hesitated. "Because Seth's having dinner with Joan."

"I think they said tacos." Auggie put in.

Arthur pulled out his phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling my wife!"

"No, if you tell Joan now we lose our window."

"Arthur, hold on. We just found out Seth's a mole not a killer. He's been alone with Joan on plenty of occasions without causing her harm." Auggie tried to calm him down.

"That's not what I'm worried about."

"Well, what do you think she's gonna do – sleep with him for payback?" Annie shot him a look. _Not helping._

"I didn't say that."

"Trust me," She said gently. "Joan is not thinking about payback right now."

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked.

"Nothing. It's just…it's Joan." She backtracked.

"You leaned on us yesterday to keep our mouths shut. Now suddenly you need to talk to your wife? Until Annie gets out of Seth's house safely, you're gonna have to wait to clear your conscience, okay?"

"Fine." He gave in. "Do what you have to do, Annie."

She paused at the door. "You're going to get through this, Arthur. Both of you. Joan will forgive you."

"Thanks, Annie."

She nodded and left with Auggie in tow.

**XXXXX**

Annie slipped silently down the side of Seth Newman's house. No one should be home, but there were still neighbors. She start when a light flashed on overhead. The spotlight was motion censored. She breathed a sigh of relief and continued to the back door.

Her pocket knife made quick work of the lock, and she slipped into the interior of the house. She flipped her flashlight on.

Seth's living room was nicely decorated. He even had framed pictures on his mantel. She eyed a picture of Seth and Joan. Clearly the man didn't know how to move on.

She checked behind the artwork on the walls for a safe, and then moved up the stairs to the second floor.

_Bingo!_ His office. She scanned his bookshelves. Nothing. She turned to his desk, and paged through the files. She tried to crack the desktop computer with no luck. She had just noticed a flashdrive by the computer when the door below opened and closed and Seth's voice sounded.

She hid in the closet in the nick of time.

Seth entered his study still engage with his conversation on the phone. He picked up the flashdrive she had been fingering earlier and pocketed it.

Unfortunately Annie had upset some books on her rushed entrance to the closet and one of the bookends was threatening to fall. She was so intent on catching it, she missed Seth's approach.

He pulled her roughly from the closet and shoved her up against the wall. Recovering quickly she smashed him in the face. He caught her as she tried to flee, and they fought along the hallway.

They tumbled down the stairs. She kicked out and caught him in the stomach. He was stunned for a moment, and she used this to her advantage and raced to her car.

She was still breathing heavy when she came around the corner to the bridge across the river. Her eyes widened when Seth came out of the neighbor's yard baring a baseball bat, and she had to slam on her brakes so as not to hit him.

He swung at her windshield, and glass splattered around her. She ducked as he reached in the car window for her. He tried to reach her keys. She hit the gas, but she didn't get far before he succeeded in stopping her.

He drug her out of the car and pushed her up against the hood. She fought back wildly as he tried to choke her. Hitting him hard in the face, she leaned back and kicked him in the chest with both feet.

He spun away from her from the force of the blow and stumbled over the side of the bridge.

She tried to catch his hand, but there wasn't time, and she watched in horror as he plunged into the Potomac River below.

Her phone jerked her from her dazed state, and she found it buzzing away in her console. The number was unknown. She took a deep breath before answering. "Hello?"

"_Neshama,_ I thought you might like my new number."

Her façade crumbled as she realized who it was, and she breathed out his name. "Eyal."

"Annie, what's wrong?" She could hear his concern.

"I'll call you back." She had to get out of here before someone saw her.

**XXXXX**

Eyal laid his phone on the bedside table. The clock read 2:32am. It had been a long, rough day, and he had only now made it to the Paris hotel. He had called Annie because he knew with the time difference it would still be early for her.

But now sleep would not come. The price you pay when you care. He sighed. Annie could take care of herself.

He snatched his phone when it rang a few minutes later. He sighed again and answered.

"Rivka." He shouldn't be surprised she already knew his new number.

"One of our assets has gone missing." Rivka was straight to the point.

"When?"

"About two days ago. He did not leave on his own, and we suspect not willingly as well. We tracked him to the States. You are the best in America."

"When do I leave?" This was shaping up to be a good assignment. Anything to take him closer to Annie.

"We have you on the 2 o'clock flight into Washington DC. The Intel will be waiting for you." She paused. "Get some sleep." His handler rang off.

He shook his head at her. She cared, but she had to remember to, and then only if it did not interfere with the task at hand.

He laid back down on the bed. He had just dozed off when his phone rang again.

**XXXXX**

Annie swung her door closed behind her and went straight for the first aid kit. Her shoulder was starting to burn. She didn't remember when it had started, but it was bleeding.

"I'm fine, Auggie, really." She spoke into her phone. "Did you find anything?"

"I spent the last thirty minutes monitoring public-safety scanners. So far, it seems no one has seen or heard anything. No mention of a struggle nor a traffic incident on the bridge nor a body falling into the Potomac."

"So, let's consider ourselves lucky."

"Yeah, did you leave anything at his place that could lead back to you, any fingerprints, stray hairs, drops of blood?"

"What does it matter? It's not like we can enlist a CIA cleaning crew to sweep the house of their own lead counsel." She was frustrated, and her body was starting to feel the effects of the beating she had taken.

"Hey, you are not gonna hang out there on your own on this. I won't let it happen."

"I know." She tried to hold the phone with her good shoulder while bringing a rag to her other, but it didn't work, and she almost dropped the phone. She grimaced.

Auggie must have heard her. "Annie…"

"I'm fine, Auggie. I gotta go." She hung up and tossed the phone into her bedroom.

She surveyed her reflection in the mirror. Only a shower would come close to helping this.

She groaned as the water hit her injured body, but the warm water helped to loosen her muscles. She finally began to relax.

Twenty minutes later she had finished her shower and bandaged her shoulder as best she could. It had not been as bad as it looked. She was going to have a bruise to hide on her neck though.

As she crawled into bed, she found her cell again. She had one more call to make tonight.

"Annie?" Eyal's voice was low and full of sleep.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's a good way to wake up." Annie was glad he couldn't see the blush that crept up her cheeks. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"I am now." She laid back on her pillow and closed her eyes.

He chuckled at her words, but could tell something had rattled her. "What happened, _Neshama_?"

"I'll tell you, if you tell me." She bargained. "I didn't need a new phone, a new windshield, maybe…"

"Sounds like this story is worth hearing. I will tell you mine. "He agreed.

"Good. You start."

Eyal laid back on the bed and smiled into the phone. He began his story.

**XXXXX**

"I wasn't expecting to hear from you again so soon, after what you said." Annie came up next to the bench Henry was waiting on for her. She had received his email late last night that he wanted to meet, and she was apprehensive wondering if he knew about Seth.

"I've been giving our last conversation some thought. You asked me what I wanted you to do next." He paused as he noticed her busted knuckles. "Looks nasty and recent. What did you do?"

"Fender bender. It happens" She sat casually on the edge of the bench beside him.

"When I was at the farm, they taught us to use our mirrors." Henry hassled her.

"I'm sure you didn't ask me out here to criticize my driving."

"No, I didn't. I need you to go back down to Colombia as soon as possible. Arthur has abdicated his responsibility. It's up to us to fill the gap."

"What kind of gap." She asked.

"I received Intel the ALC is planning an attack on American interests. Teo Braga is behind it." He pierced her with a serious stare. "You've established a contact with him, some kind of rapport. You may be the only one that can get close enough to stop him."

_Was he asking what she thought he was!_ "Are you asking me to kill him?" She shouldn't have been surprised.

"You've already told me twice that you are in, without reservation. Time to back those words up Miss Walker."

**TBC in **_**I'll Follow You Down **_**my own interlude before the next episode.**

**Please Review :)**


	3. I'll Follow You Down

**Hey everyone! I am so sorry it took me so long to update! Time, well, it ran away from me. I have actually had this written for a couple months, but I was not satisfied with it. Oh, well.**

**I know you have no idea what's going on. This is my own little subplot. You will only see very small details of it until it explodes probably in my own version of season five. I still hope you enjoy.**

**Once again THANK YOU to everyone that Read, Reviewed, and Favorited! I LOVE you all :)**

I'll Follow You Down

By Elanen

Eyal Lavin slowly proceeded through the crowd to the parking garage of the IAD Airport. His car was waiting where he had left it.

The Israeli's affinity for all things American had served him well in his life as a spy. So well in fact, that when a Mossad assignment called for an agent in the States, his name was at the top of the list. He had accepted every mission, anything that brought him closer to his sister's killer.

But the Cardinal was dead, and Sarah's death had been avenged.

It was only within the last year or so that coming to Washington DC had started to mean more to him. An opportunity to see a woman that was surly becoming his world.

Leaving the parking garage, he started the hour drive to the Capital.

Knowing his apartment refrigerator should be empty, he stopped at a small organic food market on the way from the airport to his residence. He was now trying to juggle carrying the bags of groceries along with his suitcase while unlocking his apartment door. He managed to get the door open, and he dropped the suitcase at the entrance.

The familiar smell of disuse that usually clung to the place on his infrequent stays was absent.

As he set the food bags on the kitchen counter, he paused. Something was off. The spy glanced about the living room, but he could find nothing to explain his unease. Moving on to the bedroom, he froze.

There was a pair of high-heels laying haphazardly in front of the open closet door.

Eyal fingered the skirts and blouses hanging on the rack, and hesitantly picked up the shoes. These were Annie's.

He knew she had quit staying here after their ill-fated parting in West Virginia. She must have forgotten her things, or she was unwilling to face this place afterwards.

Knowing what he was looking for now, it was easy to spot signs of her. A pair of earrings on the dresser, a brush on the bathroom counter. Seeing her things without her brought an odd hollow feeling to his chest. If he had never confessed his betrayal to her, this would be all he had left of her.

He did not think he could have lived with that.

But it was not so. It was never meant to end that way.

Shrugging the heaviness from his heart, he placed the Italian heels in the closet. Those were her favorite shoes. He would have to remind Annie that she had left them.

Returning to the kitchen, he put the food away. The refrigerator held the remnants of old food and several takeout boxes, the extent of Annie's cooking skills.

He pushed the old to the back and put the fresh food in front. He would clean out everything before he left this time.

Retrieving his suitcase from the hall, he showered and changed clothes, freshening from the long airplane flight.

He spent most of the evening perusing the information Rivka had sent him on Mossad's missing asset.

He finally detected what had set him off in the living room. One of his books had been removed from the bookcase. He it found lying on the end table by the couch. _The Count of Monte Cristo_ He smiled at Annie's choice. There was no book mark, and he wondered how far she had read.

There was so much he still did not know about her, but this line of thought was not conductive to his study. He laughed lightly at himself. It had been a long time since he had acted this way over a girl.

He went back to his study.

The sun had long since set by the time Eyal was ready to retire. He flipped off the last overhead light in the kitchen and was just about to make his way through the dark to the bedroom, when the front door lock rattled.

He was relieved he had left his weapon close. He pulled the gun from a kitchen drawer and flatten himself against the wall.

**XXXXX**

Annie piled her clothes in her suitcase. She had barely unpacked from her last trip to Colombia, and here she went again. Her flight left early the next morning.

She skimmed through the Exit Packet, Arthur had given her for Teo. If only for Arthur's sake, she hoped this trip would be more successful than her last. She slipped the EP into her purse. Best to keep it close. Arthur had a contact who could push her through Customs without the usual searches.

As she finished packing, her phone rang, and she absently answered. "Yeah?"

"Lisa."

Annie froze. She heard a voice from long ago in her head. _Where is she, Lisa? I won't ask again!_ Her vision began to tunnel, and she realized she had stopped breathing.

"We need to talk."

The past disappeared, and she inhaled in a rush. "How did you get this number?" She struggled to control her shaking voice.

"It really wasn't that hard." The man remarked. "Listen, we need to talk. In person. It's important."

"No!"

"Come on, Lisa. I know where you are."

She hung up on him, and looked around her room in alarm. How had he found her?

_I know where you are. I know where you are._

Her home suddenly felt cold and frightening. She had to get out of here. She knew her fear was unfounded. She was a grown woman and a CIA operative, but the child she used to be could not contain her terror. Her eyes fell on her keys. There was only one place she would feel safe. She grabbed her purse and fled.

**XXXXX**

Eyal held his breath as the front door opened and closed. Few people knew of this place. Someone either followed him from the airport, or it was a thief with no connection to him. Neither theory seemed likely.

The locked clicked into place. _What thief locks a door behind them?_

The intruder moved forward and turned into the bedroom.

From his vantage point, Eyal had a clear view of the bedroom. Even in the dark, he knew her the moment he saw her. It was Annie.

She turned on the bedside lamp, and tossed her phone and keys beside it. She was obviously distraught about something. She sank to the edge of the bed and buried her face in her hands.

He placed his gun on the counter, and he was about to make his presents know when her cell phone startled her. Annie's head jerked up. She reached for the phone, and he could see the panic written on her face.

"No, no, no!" She dropped the device on the floor and crushed it with her shoe. "You can't trace me. You can't find me. You can't control me." Tears spilled down her cheeks. "Not here." She finished in a whisper. She rolled over on the bed away from the door.

"Annie?" Eyal hesitated as he came into the bedroom.

She jerked up, and he realized he had scared her. She hastily wiped at her eyes. "What are you doing here?" She half laughed, half sobbed. "I'm sorry. This is your place. What am I saying?"

He sat beside her on the bed. "What's going on,_ Neshama_?" He put his hand on her arm, but she pulled back.

"I'm sorry. I should go."

"Annie?" He tried again to touch her, but she resisted.

"I have to get out of here." She was talking more to herself than to him. His presents was scaring her, and he realized in her fear she was unaware of who he was.

He didn't want to frighten her, but he hated to leave her in this state. He caught her arms from behind and pinned her against him. "You're safe, Annie." He whispered in her ear. He released her.

She stopped struggling as his voice washed over her. "Eyal." She relaxed in his arms, and then started to cry again.

"I can go, if you wish me to." He offered. "You will be safe here."

"No, please don't leave me." She was still trying to get herself under control.

Eyal was relieved when she didn't refuse him. As much as he wanted to know what had put her in this state, he knew she wasn't ready to talk. "Lay down, Annie." He gently pushed her into her former position on the bed. He removed her high heels, and propped himself up on his elbow next to her. She pulled his other arm down around her. He drew her back against him, and silently held her as she sobbed.

He could just see the beginning of the bandage that covered her shoulder. The dark bruise on her neck stood out. He gently brushed her hair out of the way and ran his finger over the outline. It looked worse than she had let on over the phone. Eyal wondered if part of that story was what led her here tonight, but it would not explain the damage to her phone. Seth Newman was dead. Whoever had frightened her was on the other end of that unanswered call.

He kissed her lightly behind the ear. He continued to softly kiss her on the neck until her breath evened out, and she fell asleep.

**XXXXX**

Annie was alone in bed when she woke. The night came back to her in a haze, and she took several calming breaths. Everything seemed worse in the dark of night.

She rolled out of bed, and noticed the pieces of her damaged phone had been removed from the carpet. She would have to get a new one now.

She showered, and was glad to remember she had fresh clothes in the closet. She had just finished dressing when she heard Eyal return from wherever he had been this morning.

She was nervous to face him after last night. She had been such a wreck. No doubt he would have questions she didn't want to answer.

He smiled at her when she entered the kitchen, and handed her a cup of coffee. It was from the small coffee shop on the corner. If Eyal was passing on the chance to cook an actual breakfast, he must have somewhere he had to be soon.

"What are you doing in Washington?" Maybe not the best question to start with, but she was good at avoidance. "Not that I'm not happy to see you…" She trailed off, and he laughed lightly.

"One of our assets in Iran, a Pedro Bara, is missing. Mossad tracked him here."

"And you're supposed to find him, and force him to return?"

"He's one of our best assets, Annie. But not only that, we think he was kidnapped. His father is a very powerful leader in his country. We think whoever wanted him paid off his bodyguard."

She nodded and sipped her coffee. "You have a lead."

"I do." He nodded. "You could come with me…" He knew it was a long shot. She had her own work to complete, but he did not want to leave her yet.

"I'm sorry about last night." Time to take the plunge.

Eyal blinked at the turn in conversation. He realized she had been working herself up to say these words.

"I just showed up. I had no idea you were here…" She tried to apologize.

He touched her arm. "I never rescinded my offer for you to stay here, Annie. You are always welcome no matter what."

She nodded hesitantly.

"I have something for you." Eyal moved around the counter and retrieved something from a drawer, and offered it to her. It was a cell phone. "I added a little Lavin touch. It masks which cell towers you bounce off. It is completely untraceable and secure. I took the liberty of adding my number in case you had not memorized my new one."

She stared it at it in shock for a moment. Eyal was caught off guard when Annie threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

He wrapped his arms about her.

"Thank you." Her voice shook, and she swallowed back tears.

"What happened, Annie?" He asked in concern.

She pulled back, and he could see she was agitated at his question. "I, uh, I have a plane to catch." She avoided his gaze.

He nodded. She didn't want to talk about it, and he wasn't going to push.

She slipped the mobile in her purse.

"You are headed back to Colombia."

"Yeah, Henry wants me to take out Teo, and Arthur wants me to bring him in."

"What are you going to do?" He walked her to the door.

"Whatever feels right." She shrugged

Catching her arm, he pulled her into another hug. "I meant what I said, _Neshama_. You are always welcome here, whether I am here or not." He reluctantly let her go.

"Thank you. Good luck finding your missing asset. I'd go with you if I could."

He smiled at her, and leaning back against the doorjamb he watched her walk away.

**TBC in **_**Into the White**_


End file.
